Fish & Wildlife Warden Rick Fischer said in a press release posted by San Bernardino County Fire that while it is rare for mountain lions to attack humans, the cats have been known to attack livestock and family pets.

"Leaving the lion in the tree would not have been safe for the community," Fischer said.

The Hesperia home where the cat was found is about 80 miles from Los Angeles in the Mojave Desert. Hesperia borders the San Bernardino Mountains to the south.

"It is common for young mountain lions to wander outside what some would consider normal habitat in an attempt to establish their territory," Fish & Wildlife biologist Kevin Brennan told San Bernardino County Fire.